This Date in Football: Happy Birthday, Shannon Sharpe

On this date in football, June 26, 2012, Shannon Sharpe turns 44 years old. A gifted pass-receiver, Sharpe played 14 seasons, in which he was selected to 8 Pro Bowls and won 3 Super Bowl rings – with the Broncos in 1997 and ’98, and with the Ravens in 2000. His accomplishments earned Sharpe enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011, when he delivered a poignant acceptance speech saluting the influence of his brother and grandmother on him. As we send him happy birthday wishes, here’s a look back at Sharpe’s address – in which the tight end known for big talking and big play-making showed the world his big and humble heart.